The day before
19 de mayo de 2023, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
The day before. My neighbor gave me a mohair shawl and hat she crocheted because she saw online that London in summer is 20 deg F colder than here! They are so warm and super-soft.
MKK to Maui
20 de mayo de 2023, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
I overnighted on Maui, staying in a hostel in the old part of Wailuku. While waiting for check-in time, I discovered that a local youth dance school was putting on an end-of-semester recital at theLeer más
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In the evening I went to the restaurant up the street, The Empanada Lady, which had a great jazz/blues band playing. The first of many food shots is my Cuban Ropa Vieja Flank Steak dinner.
LAX
21 de mayo de 2023, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
My flight from Maui arrived at 10pm and the flight to Heathrow left at 11:22pm, which had me anxious about making it to the departure gate on time. However, there is a tunnel between the terminals andLeer más
Heathrow
22 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Arrived at 6pm to be greeted by my nephew, and had my first ride in a modern London Black Cab.
Chiswick
23 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
I spent my first day just checking out the neighborhood.
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"Dirty chips" and coffee at the pub opposite the Gunnersbury Tube station near where I was staying. I asked for a cheese toasted sandwich but they don't do those. The cheese sauce was spicy hot and very tasty.
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I never did get to visit Chiswick House and its big gardens, but I thought this kid's illustration on the wall of a building site near where I was staying was really cute!
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The single most useful photo I took! I often struggled with the steps at Tube stations so the bus was my preferred mode of transport. This bus stop was near where I stayed and being able to refer to this photo to know which bus would take me home was a wonderful time-saver. I had the Transport for London app on my phone, which was also a big help, but using apps chewed through battery time.
Clerkenwell
24 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
I met up with a friend from high school and we visited some of the (mostly furniture) design stores participating in Clerkenwell Design Week. One company was exhibiting in the St John's museum, whichLeer más
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My ID card. The QR code was scanned by vendors at the various locations so they could bombard me with emails. LOL One vendor, in his 50s, commented laughingly on "Student". "I guess you're a student of life," he quipped, seeming to think I'd chosen that category as a joke. Ageism is alive and well!
The Three Greyhounds
24 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
After the Clerkenwell outing, I took the Tube into the theatre district to meet up with my nephew and a couple of his friends for dinner and a show--the first London performance of Spitting Image: TheLeer más
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Bangers and mash at The Three Greyhounds. The nicely burned sausages are seated on a platform of creamy mashed potatoes. I hadn't expected to see so much gravy, but it was all very delicious!
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The plot of the show is that Charles, on the eve of his coronation, must "save the fabric of British society."
Bus trip to Richmond
25 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
I took the bus down to Richmond to get my hair cut and do some shopping at Marks & Spencers. You get to see much more and meet lovely folk on the bus. Brits are not nearly as reserved as theirLeer más
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Hair salon mural. The salon owners' son had to have two kidney transplants--one from each of his parents--and they do a lot of fundraising for kidney transplant recipients.
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To get back to the main street of Richmond from the salon, I cut through a lovely churchyard. It lets wild growth run rampant so that insects have lots of habitat.
Chiswick
26 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
In the morning, I stopped at "The Italians" deli/cafe for a coffee on my way to the supermarket down the street. The deck chair and DIY side table fitted onto a bollard were in the alleyway leading toLeer más
White Cross, Richmond
26 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
In the evening we met up for drinks at the White Cross, which is a famous riverside pub on the Thames. It was a wonderfully warm evening with no room for us in the garden or even outside on theLeer más
The Fat Badger, Richmond
26 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Then we strolled along the river and up to the Richmond town area to go for dinner at The Fat Badger. If you've every watched Ted Lasso, the exterior shots of the pub that is a feature of the show isLeer más
Chiswick
27 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Saturday morning, I took care of dirty business--my laundry. While it was having a whirl, I had coffee at a nearby cafe and found myself in the midst of a promotional video shoot for a sports teamLeer más
Kew Gardens
27 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
In the afternoon, I met up again with my high school friend at Kew Gardens station. We walked to the National Archives for a look at an exhibition of fun invention copyrights, and then back under theLeer más
Hammersmith
28 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Sunday, I decided to take the bus to its last stop in Hammersmith. On December 23, 1973, I saw Elton John and Kiki Dee's first performance together at what is now the Eventim Apollo but was thenLeer más
Chiswick
29 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Heaven only knows what I did on Monday. No photos to remind me! It was probably just a rest and recovery day.
Bus trip
30 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
I took the wrong bus to go back to Kew Gardens but decided to stay on it until I saw something of interest.
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The London Museum of Water and Steam. I'd read about it before leaving for the UK and had intended to visit but I just stayed on the bus. :(
Kensington Design Museum
31 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Met up again with my high school friend and went to the Design Museum in Kensington.
Ai Weiwei exhibit
31 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
The Design Museum had a special exhibit of Ai Weiwei's work. It was called "Making Sense" and the catalogue described it as "a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. ...Leer más
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One of a series of prints from 2022, entitled "Study of Perspective." In the series, he flips the bird at culturally iconic architecture and objects around the world.
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Water Lilies #1, 2022. Made of thousands of Lego bricks, it's a recreation of Monet's work.
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Still Life, 1993-2000. Ai collected thousands of Stone Age tools from flea markets--axe-heads, chisels, knives and spindle whorls. We tend to think of these as precious because of their age, but they are just commonplace examples of what was needed for everyday survival.
Japan House
31 de mayo de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Japan House is also on Kensington High Street and features items from Japanese companies. Downstairs, they have a library and an exhibition space, which held a collection of intricately patterned silkLeer más
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Copy of a 4th-century ornamental braid used for ceremonial temple parades. It would be draped over the neck of a horse.
Kew Gardens redux
1 de junio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
This time, I caught the right bus and could make the change to the one that goes by Kew Gardens!
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You make the change at Kew Bridge. This is the view from the bus stop down towards Old Thames Road. Such a pretty garden!
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And this is the view of Kew Pier near the bridge. There are regular boat tours along the Thames that include this stop.
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On the little hop on - hop off train that takes you all around Kew Gardens.
Cardiff
2 de junio de 2023, Gales ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
I had two reasons to go to Cardiff for the weekend. One was that I'd been watching a Welsh TV series set in the parliament there and it is such an amazing building. And the other was that a NeilLeer más
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To get to Paddington, I took the Tube to Earl's Court. Loved this ad in the train carriage. I was supposed to change at Earl's Court, but as I stepped off the train an announcement came over the station's PA system saying that everyone had to evacuate the station because of "an emergency." I stepped back into the train and continued a couple more stops to transfer to the Circle Line.
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I had tried to buy my ticket online a few days before, but there was a strike planned for June 2 and 3, so they weren't accepting online reservations. Instead, I bought it in the Great Western Railway ticket office on the platform at Paddington Station. The station is huge and apparently has a statue of Paddington Bear, but I didn't have time to look around. Really nice modern train! The strike reduced the number of trains running and meant there was no refreshment service on the train but, other than that, I think everything was the same as usual.
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Once we got into Wales, signage was in two languages with Welsh being the predominant one.
Cardiff Bay
3 de junio de 2023, Gales ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
My one full day in Cardiff was spent at Cardiff Bay, which has a fascinating history. It was developed as docklands--supplying iron and coal from South Wales to the rest of Great Britain and theLeer más
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The Pierhead, Millennium Centre in the distance, and the glass-enclosed Senedd Cymru. The sculpture is the Merchant Seaman's Memorial, made using the traditional shipbuilding method of riveting metal plates together. Not seen from this angle is the bottom of the hull, which is shaped like a sleeping face. It commemorates local merchant seamen lost during times of war.
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In the late 19th century and early to mid-20th, the area was known as Tiger Bay. Post-WWII, the demand for coal and steel faded and the area fell into disrepair. From the '90s onward, much of it was redeveloped into a tourist destination called Mermaid Quay.
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View of Cardiff Bay from the little cafe in the Mermaid Quay area where I had breakfast. The bay is actually fresh water because a barrage was built prior to redevelopment and it formed an estuary for the two rivers that flow out to sea here.
Senedd Cymru
3 de junio de 2023, Gales ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
The TV show that inspired my visit to Cardiff was called "Living A Lie" and it centered on the politicians, newsgatherers, spin doctors, etc., in the Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cyrmru). For me, the starLeer más
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Wales did not have its own National Assembly until 1999, and it continued being governed from Westminster. I love the "Independant Tropical Wales" graffiti on the wall behind Her Majesty, Prince Phillip and Prince Charles as they were driven to the official opening. At that time, the Assembly met in The Pierhead building. Tropical?
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The interior is really intriguing because the debating chamber is circular and there is a circular public gallery above it. The building was officially opened on St. David's Day, 2006.
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Looking down from the visitors gallery into the debating chamber. I suppose that when parliament is in session, you can watch the live broadcast on the little monitor at each seat in the gallery.
Millennium Centre
3 de junio de 2023, Gales ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
This was the final day of performances of the play based on Neil Gaiman's book "The Ocean At The End Of The Lane." I attended the matinee and arrived in the theatre quite early. It is an absolutelyLeer más
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The performance was delayed by "a technical problem." It sounded like a bird had gotten into the theatre and was up in the acoustic baffles! TBH, I found the play itself very hard going and the giant puppet Thing was terrifying. As intended, of course.
Cardiff Castle
4 de junio de 2023, Gales ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
ViajeroCardiff Castle was just a short walk from my hotel and I visited it after checking out early in the morning.
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As the plaque explains, the castle was presented to the City of Cardiff by the 5th Marquess of Bute. Probably to avoid taxes, the docent at The Pierhead had said, the day before. LOL
ViajeroThis is beautiful, what a lovely thing to do.